Planetary Parade, Eclipse, Meteor Shower Peak: You'll Want To Look Up Wednesday In PA

Wednesday is shaping up as one of the best days of the year to look up at the sky in Pennsylvania, with a planetary parade, the peak of the Perseid meteor shower and, in some places, a solar eclipse all packed into one unusually busy day in the sky.

The big question, as always, is whether the weather will cooperate. Clear skies will matter most once darkness falls and the meteors start flying.

In the Philadelphia area, cloudy skies are a distinct possibility. There is a roughly 60 percent chance of rain Wednesday afternoon, forecasters said, which could potentially put a damper on viewing opportunities. Rain is likely in the morning before 7 a.m. and could restrict viewing of the planetary parade, though clear periods are likely during the day for the planetary eclipse.

In the western part of the state, the greater Pittsburgh area has rain forecasted both late Tuesday and throughout the afternoon Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. If skies clear between storms, viewing of the planetary parade.

A Predawn Planetary Parade

The celestial tripleheader actually begins before breakfast. Six planets, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune, will be above the horizon before sunrise Wednesday, according to AccuWeather.

Don’t expect all six to jump out at you. Mars and Saturn should be the easiest to spot with the naked eye, shining high in the southern sky. Jupiter and Mercury will be low in the east as morning twilight begins, while Uranus and Neptune are faint enough to require binoculars or a telescope.

When To See The Solar Eclipse

Later Wednesday, a solar eclipse will be visible from parts of North America and Europe. The moon will completely block the sun in parts of Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, Spain and a small section of Portugal. In the United States, viewers in 26 states and the District of Columbia will see a partial solar eclipse, according to NASA.

While the moon will appear to swallow the sun whole in other parts of the world, Pennsylvania residents will see more of a polite nibble.

In Pennsylvania, the partial eclipse starts at 1:01 p.m. and ends at 2:36 p.m.

Although the sun will never be completely covered in Pennsylvania, you’ll still need proper eye protection.

The Grand Finale, The Perseids

Then comes the nightcap, and probably the main attraction.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The timing is about as good as it gets. A new moon means the sky will be especially dark for anyone who can get away from city lights. Under clear, dark skies, skywatchers could see around 100 meteors or more an hour.

The first meteors should begin appearing shortly after nightfall, with the show picking up later in the night.

The Perseids are beloved partly because they arrive when people are already outside, on vacations, at campgrounds, in back yards, on docks and around late-night fires.

They’re known for bright meteors, occasional fireballs and lingering trains, those brief glowing streaks that seem to hang in the sky after the meteor is gone.